Here is the latest Gulf Coast Conference sports news from The Associated Press

April 5, 2020 at 3:33 AM CDT - Updated April 5 at 3:33 AM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Robert Wickens has spent nearly 21 months fighting his way back from a spinal cord injury he suffered in a crash at Pocono. On Saturday, he'll finally compete again in an IndyCar event: The second round of the iRacing Challenge, which is an esports offering for IndyCar fans and its drivers who are waiting things out during the pandemic. The virtual race will feature the Barber Motorsports Park track in Alabama. NBCSN is televising the event. Fans will get a first-hand glimpse into what Wickens calls biggest step yet to resuming his racing career.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach has apologized on social media for posting a tweet that drew criticism from Bulldogs players and an assistant professor at the school before it was deleted. The outspoken coach on Wednesday night tweeted a picture depicting an elderly woman knitting, the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, reported. The caption read, “After 2 weeks of quarantine with her husband, Gertrude decided to knit him a scarf...”, but the picture showed her knitting a noose with the hangman’s knot already tied, the newspaper reported.